Why are Sky cancelling Sky buddy?

[Sez0104]

Hi So I cancelled my services within an hour of finding out buddy had been cancelled & have emails to prove this, & yesterday sky went in my account and took money out 😳 I rang them they apologised and I spoke with my bank and told them that Sky had told me to tell them it was a payment in error and that I should cancel the direct debit, I did as requested and I get up this morning and Sky have set up a direct debit again and taken the payment again 😡 this is despite me having emails that state I cancelled the same day my service went live. Absolutely disgusted with sky. 

[Chrisee]

@Sez0104 suggest your formally complain see How to make a Sky complaint | Sky Help | Sky.com

[Sez0104]

I spoke with sky who told me that I hadn't cancelled my direct debit yesterday, when infact my online banking and bank have confirmed I did & my bank have just confirmed that after me cancelling the direct debit yesterday that Sky have set another direct debit up under a different reference number and debited my account for £29:00 today, so that was £22:00 yesterday which was cancelled yesterday and Sky apologised for doing and now today they set a direct debit up under a different reference number and took £29:00. Wouldn't mind but my bill if I hand t cancelled didn't even amount to that much, I also have emails that state my activation date and cancellation date are the same date. Sky really are disgusting. 

[Chrisee]

@Sez0104 complain formally it does get your issue heard by management rather than posting here.

[JayR85]

Disgusted that I've had no warning about this. I've had nothing but problems with Sky and there Internet has never been the best, Sky buddy was the only reason I stayed with them. I have a child with severe mental health issues and buddy was my control for the WiFi and allowing the child to have access, now I've had to remove all Internetand devices until I find a suitable replacment for Sky buddy. Why they'd remove this I don't understand, they had something no other provider gives and was a lifeline to many users. Clearly worried more about there ratings than the customers already paying them, well I think they'll have a few less now unfortunately for them. 

[rehanshaik]

Share the sentiment. Although take up of Buddy was small, the user base is an extremely dedicated one, and heavily relian on it.. Just a bad decision period.

Moving on... There isn't really an alternative in the market at the moment but for me the combination of BB Shield and a TP Link router is the next best alternative. Shield is a blunt instrument but at least stops the bulk of harmful content. And the tp link router offers an App called Tether that allows me to pause internet on any given devices. A bit clunky to setup but works well. All in, nothing like the ease and level of control buddy gave, but better than nothing. Hope helps someone.

[lettice]

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@rehanshaik wrote:

Share the sentiment. Although take up of Buddy was small, the user base is an extremely dedicated one, and heavily relian on it.. Just a bad decision period.

Moving on... There isn't really an alternative in the market at the moment but for me the combination of BB Shield and a TP Link router is the next best alternative. Shield is a blunt instrument but at least stops the bulk of harmful content. And the tp link router offers an App called Tether that allows me to pause internet on any given devices. A bit clunky to setup but works well. All in, nothing like the ease and level of control buddy gave, but better than nothing. Hope helps someone.

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Yes a real shame.
Mine gave up the ghost finally yesterday afternoon.

Have made good reliable use of Sky Buddy over the years, parental, creating a restricted guest network and the knowing of all the devices connecting.

In my view there is no real alternative, but suppose will be saving £3 a month now, when it gets removed from my account, hopefully next month.

[rehanshaik]

If ability to block / unblock certain devices internet your mobile phone needed then would consider replacing the q hub with a TP link router and it's Tether App. You can name each connected device and then simply block unblock as needed.. just like on buddy.

Where I miss buddy is the profile filtering that it offered. There's nothing else really like that out there right now AFAIK...

Ps. Looked at an add-on Disney Circle but it hammers WiFi speed.. and apparently can just be unplugged by a determined child to bypass it!!

[Chrisee]

@rehanshaik unfortunately TP-Link routers only work with some Sky services as there are issues linking them to Sky's full fibre lines. There are multiple alternatives which can control access at a device level forsome examples see  https://www.safewise.com/resources/parental-control-filters-buyers-guide/

Your comment about a determined child getting round a control service applied to Broadband Buddy and just about any other service yet invented. 

[rehanshaik]

Hi @Chrisee

To clarify, I am using the TPlink AC 2800 with sky's ultrafast which is a full fibre (fttp) service. No issues. Connected like a dream through ethernet to the OTP (Openreach fibre modem) using the inbuilt Sky(MER) settings option on the TP Link router. (In wireless router mode).

My point re Circle being bypassed was about the ease with which it could be done, as opposed to whether possible. Of course bypassing any protection solution is possible.

I have used quite a few protection solutions and absolutely loved Buddy because it was built into the router.

Circle from Disney as an external add on doesn't create its own "controlled" WiFi network & ssid (unlike something like the now defunct Koala which did) ... Which means that to bypass it all you had to do is physically switch it off or unplug it! This is much easier than trying to find out what the unguarded SSID password is (like in Koala) or manipulate Parental Control config settings on a router behind a pw... like TPLink.

Hope helps.

Rehan

[Chrisee]

@rehanshaik you were lucky as up until TP-Link units do not support DHCP v4 Option 61 on the WAN interface however some but not all users can connect by using DHCPv6 PD instead.it depends on the exchange you are on. 

No parental control option seems able to withstand a determined tech savvy kid unfortunately.

[hahahareat]

Guys, Sky Broadband Buddy was a modified version of MEETCIRCLE     Its the same App! Sign up free for 3 months and they send you device to attach to your network that looks for the devices.

https://meetcircle.com/

CANT BELIEVE YOU ARE ALL SAYING THERE ARE NO ALTERNATIVES....

The product it was based on has always been there.

[rehanshaik]

Buddy integrated the Circle product directly into the router Vs being a separate box. This was not only faster but simplified setup, and also meant it couldn't be bypassed by simply unplugging the circle box from the wall.

[mae-3]

There are alternatives to the Buddy app mainly four types and progressively getting more difficult and expensive to set up in the order below.

It is great to learn about these products and get a greater feel for how the Internet works and how to control it.

1. Use a third-party router with OpenDNS (about £2 a month and the cost of a third-party router).

2.. Use a third-party product like Disney Cycle (about £130 but the product is being phased out).

3. Use Firewalla hardware firewall (about £300).

4. Install a hardware firewall, eg: OPNsense and use Zenarmor (about £300 and $10 a month). Also requires a wireless access point).

[mae-3]

The OPNsense and Zenarmor have extensive reports and controls over traffic and are controlled by a web interface...